With 140 confirmed orders, Janus Electrical is rolling to success. After writing about its transformed cement truck, I made a decision to achieve out to Lex Forsyth (Basic Supervisor, Janus Electrical) and ask how the corporate was going. There’s excellent news and unhappy (for Australia) information. The excellent news is that the order e book retains on rising. It’s full with Macks, Volvos, Kenworths, and Freightliners queuing up for conversion from diesel to battery electrical. These vehicles have related chassis width, so Janus can use the identical batteries and drivetrain on every truck.
Transformed cement truck
Fleets are paying for the conversions, trialling the electrical semis, after which coming again for extra. It might be nice if ARENA may get behind this younger firm so it may ramp up quicker. Maybe it is a area that Mike Cannon-Brookes’ Boundless Earth may become involved in?
The unhappy information is that Janus will likely be increasing to the USA to begin operations in Q3 2023, with ten vehicles already ready to be transformed, with the assumption that Janus will have the ability to scale quicker abroad.
Janus has 4 transformed semis on the street in Australia — two based mostly in Brisbane, the JE410 for Cement Australia, and the transformed Janus Electrical Western Star performing industrial operations. To show the power, sturdiness, and effectivity of the drivetrain, they’re funding a trial in South Australia’s rugged outback with Qube and Oz Minerals resulting from begin subsequent month. Presently, Janus Electrical has 5 extra vehicles within the workshop present process conversion, with the intention to transform 5 per 30 days to battery electrical.
I requested Lex in regards to the progress of the charging infrastructure. He says they’re working a little bit behind however that the Sydney-to-Brisbane run must be working by Q2 2023. Battery swap stations will likely be in Brisbane (Hemmant), Byron Bay, Port Macquarie, and Berkeley Vale close to Sydney. They’ve additionally located battery swap stations at two hubs that are utilising the transformed semis.
Janus Cost & Change station.
The Cost & Change Station at Berkeley Vale will likely be fitted with robotic battery changers. The opposite Cost & Change stations use forklifts to take away and change the batteries. Basing the Cost & Change station near Sydney is good to the upper quantity of vehicles within the space. Due to the high-power demand, it is smart to scale out the place the bigger fleet is predicated.
Simply as a comparability, the Tesla Semi will possible retail in Australia for round A$800,000. Janus Electrical can convert an current diesel semi for about A$175,000.
Loaded Western Star
“Discuss to the transformed,” Lex says. Hopefully this information will get handed from one truckie to a different, and Janus will have the ability to sustain with demand. 10-4, Rubber Duckie.
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